#IllegalWildlifeTrade #WildlifeTrafficking - The more things stay the same the worse they become...

The more things stay the same the worse they become. This is a disease called apathy. Some recent strong busts of wildlife crime groups here in Nepal and other parts of Asia are inroads but there is so much to be done. Arrests and seizures simply point to the fact that the crime has been committed. My gut feeling, after many years, is that this is the pivotal time to see if the world really does care or the trafficking of wildlife and people will continue unabated.

Quick post - Real effort and focus can win...

I went online this morning to find some amazing, heartfelt messages. Despite everything going on, it's that stuff that gives real hope. A critical mass, no matter how small, can make a difference. Real effort and focus can win...

"Protecting the spotted tiger"... from rhino to leopard...

It was great to catch up with Kamal Jung Kunwar again yesterday.  Many of you will know of his anti-poaching and conservation deeds.  His book "Four Years for the Rhino" was internationally acclaimed, it tells of the remarkable events which took place when rhino poaching in Nepal was at a deadly serious level.  The at times highly risky work of people like Kamal Jung ensured that the rhino now has much safer habitat.

After a stint as Chief Warden of Chitwan National Park, Kamal Jung is now eight months into his role of Chief Warden of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, an area which descends into the Kathmandu Valley.  Shivapuri is a vital watershed for the valley, in fact eighty percent of drinking water in the valley originates from its steep jungle slopes.  It is, as Kamal Jung describes, the head which sustains the body of the valley.  Kamal Jung has a vision that there will be healthy populations of fish species in the Bagmati river.  The river has its source high in the National Park and flows through Kathmandu where it is struggling for health but Kamal Jung has set his mind to change that.

Kamal Jung also has a deep appreciation and concern for the leopard.  "The leopard is the tiger of the middle hills" he explains, "in fact many people call the leopard the spotted tiger".  We spoke extensively about strategy using micro technology to aid anti-poaching of the big cat as well as human - leopard conflict mitigation.  I'll have more on this soon but Kamal Jung as a true conservationist who has walked the walk knows how vital the leopard is as a keystone species.

"If we protect the leopard it means we protect the health of the forest" said the Chief Warden.

The other thing I really like about this man is he truly understands communities and the issues regarding their relationships with wildlife.  "Shooting people and putting hundreds in jail ultimately isn't going to solve the problem of poaching" he said.  Kamal Jung works closely at ground level with communities, he understands how economic development in balance with conservation is the real answer.  As a man who has had his life threatened many times by wildlife traffickers he still has the compassion to give people the chance to get it right in circumstances where poverty can influence decisions. In an age where there is too much macho and manipulation regarding poaching and wildlife trafficking issues, Kamal Jung has shown his methods work.  The rhino has benefited from that and now the leopard will as well, thus the habitats they live in will thrive, something we all need to happen.

More soon on WildTiger's collaboration with Kamal Jung and other like minded strong conservationists.

"Want to see a tiger?"... "Yes but does it want to see you?"

Our constant "invasion" of wildlife is something that concerns me greatly. Living with a leopard confirmed so much what many years previously had already taught me, we don't give wildlife enough space, in so many ways. I observed closely Asa's reactions to many situations, it's something I'm going into deeply in my book in the chapter "I WANT TO SEE A TIGER" ... "YES BUT DOES THE TIGER WANT TO SEE YOU?" Our perceptions of wildlife need to change, fast. The article below, re bucket list tourism, just another example. It's far from just tourism being the problem though, some practices in the name of science, habitat encroachment and of course the total scourge that is illegal wildlife trade are also culpable. The "legal" trade in wildlife needs addressing badly. There are many good people who operate with respect but there are many more for who the money god is the driving force.

How Tourists’ Phones Are Threatening South Africa’s Wildlife

Leopard country...

Now based and settled in the Ktm valley for a while it's all about leopards, not just here but with a south Asian focus. These cats are really up against it at the moment and it's also testing for many people living in their territories. Protection status, rescue situations, poaching, conflict between humans and leopards, these are the issues. The challenges are big but not insurmountable. Thanks for your support.

The affects of poverty in leopard land...

Before I head into an early evening meeting after a busy couple of days in the valley this quick post. In the image Pragati is interviewing Bishnu, a social worker and some street kids in an area where I once traced some bird traders. The traffickers used to recruit kids just like the two in the photo. The trade has been forced to be less visible due to the intervention of several groups and the Government does have measures in place evidenced by the high number of seizures of leopard skins and other wildlife parts particularly of late.

The Government is attempting to rectify the street kid situation, a chronic problem, people like Bishnu face serious challenges. Pragati is researching for a story on the situation, she's a journalist who fully understands the link between socio/econonmic circumstances and environmental issues. Pragati focuses on humanitarian issues as much as wildlife problems, her writing reflecting the difficulties of the marginalized.

I sometimes get irked when the amount of noise made globally about wildlife issues ignores the fact that poverty is such a crucial ingredient. There are high profile activists who only pay it lip service. Those people should join us in places like where we were yesterday, or in remote Himalayan village areas a long way from the tourist trails where being a hunter/poacher is a survival element.

Wildlife is always going to be under pressure if poverty is not addressed...

A mountain refuge, a place where great cats meet...

This post is also at Facebook if you'd like to comment.

I'll talk more soon about these high altitude areas where leopard and snow leopard overlap. The relationship between the leopard and other predators, including humans, is critical to its future. The global population of leopards is going down by over 1000 a year and with about 20,000 left across its range it would only take a couple of decades for functional extinction. This has already happened in many places. Areas like the one in the image, where I was recently, a few days walk from a jeep track, are critical for the future of the leopard , an ecosystem engineer, the most versatile, athletic and adaptable of the big cats, yet an animal which suffers so much persecution. In this area, the human population is economically stable so they do not hunt... the message is a loud one, poverty kills everything but poachers are far from the main culprits, that label belongs to dealers and consumers...

@WildTigerNews (www.twitter.com/wildtigernews) climbed over 5200 followers a couple of days ago, thanks to those who care about the real issues (it's not a place for selfies etc). Thanks also to those who have bought images lately, there'll be a send out soon. Every man, woman and dog biscuit has a camera these days, they are all signing their photos and there are millions of images everywhere. This has made it very hard for those of us who try to support projects by selling images, in fact it has become counter productive in that respect. So we have to evolve and it won't be too long before the WildTiger Journal is up and running again. I won't be on Facebook that often as a consequence, I tend to catch news on the run on the tweet anyway, it's faster and cleaner (less selfies). I'll post blogs here at times, I'm very leopard focused at the moment at a time when there's a lot of conflict. Here in South Asia there's on average a human fatality a week and a leopard fatality a day. As I mentioned above, things are at a critical stage.